"Kakashi, who is this little girl?"
At this moment, Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, Hyuga Hizashi, also noticed something unusual about the child. The girl's vivid, blood-red hair was not something seen often in the Land of Fire.
As a member of one of the great clans, Hizashi was familiar with the legacy of certain bloodlines.
"Ah, it's just as you're thinking," Kakashi replied quietly. "The Third Hokage has approved her to live in the village."
"I see. You've had a hard time. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't delay you."
"Goodbye, Senior Hizashi."
The encounter with Hizashi was brief and fleeting, like many meetings in the shinobi world—here and then gone.
Kakashi continued walking down Konoha's main street with Karin beside him, using the opportunity to introduce her to Konoha's atmosphere.
"Brother Kakashi, where are we headed?"
"I'm taking you to your new home. Your neighbor is a kid your age. Just like you, he's from the Uzumaki clan—Naruto Uzumaki."
"Uzumaki Naruto? That name sounds funny. It makes me hungry."
Karin said this while sucking on her finger, eyes glinting mischievously—her cuteness a bit excessive.
"Haha, it is a strange name," Kakashi said, "but it's one with great meaning."
"Is he a redhead like me?" Karin asked as she tugged on her crimson hair.
"Nope," Kakashi shook his head with a chuckle.
"Aww, I thought he might have the same cursed red hair as me," Karin murmured, a little crestfallen.
Her hair had brought her a lot of trouble while she wandered—bullies, stares, and isolation. If there had been someone like her, maybe she wouldn't have felt so alone.
Kakashi gently patted her head, ruffling her hair.
"Red hair is beautiful, Karin. It's a mark of your strength—and your identity."
Karin blinked, then smiled brightly. "Mmh! Okay!"
"Alright. Let's head over. Naruto should be home now."
"Okay!"
Excitement shone in Karin's eyes as they approached an apartment-style complex.
"Naruto Uzumaki… I wonder what kind of person he is," she thought aloud.
On the way here, Kakashi had already told her a little about the boy. Karin had since restored her full name—Uzumaki Karin—though she still wasn't sure whether her mother or father had been from the clan. But the surname felt right.
With rising curiosity, Karin followed Kakashi to one of the upper floors. He knocked on the door.
"Naruto, you home?"
Inside, Naruto was just about to dig into a bowl of cup ramen. Hearing the familiar voice, he leapt up.
"I'm coming!"
He opened the door excitedly and threw himself at Kakashi.
"Brother White Fang! You're finally back!"
Kakashi blinked, slightly stunned, before patting Naruto's back warmly.
"Haha, you've grown again."
"Of course! I've been eating lots!"
"Really? Then why do I smell instant noodles?"
Naruto laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Well… I can't help it, they're just too good!"
Kakashi flicked Naruto's forehead, earning a yelp.
"Ow! I get it, I get it!"
"Good. Learn to eat real meals, okay?"
As Naruto rubbed his forehead, he noticed Karin for the first time.
"Hey, Brother Kakashi, who's the girl?"
"This is Karin. She'll be your neighbor from now on."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Seriously?! That's awesome! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you!"
"Hello, I'm Uzumaki Karin. Nice to meet you too."
"Whoa! You're an Uzumaki too?!"
Naruto's jaw dropped. He'd never met anyone else in the village with the same surname.
"Yup," Kakashi said. "Karin is just like you, Naruto. You two should get along well."
"Don't worry! I'll take care of her like a real sister!"
For reasons he didn't understand, Naruto suddenly felt as if he had a real family.
Karin looked at Naruto—his goofy grin, his warm tone. He felt like sunlight. Gentle and warm.
"Just don't drag her into your cup ramen addiction," Kakashi said, raising an eyebrow.
"Heh… got it." Naruto laughed nervously again.
"Alright Karin, your room is just downstairs. Let's go."
"Okay."
"I wanna come too!" Naruto chimed in.
"Then let's all go."
They went down to the floor below. Kakashi reached into a potted plant and retrieved a hidden key, unlocking a dusty apartment.
The room resembled Naruto's: small, sparsely furnished, but livable. However, no one had touched it in years.
As soon as the door opened, a cloud of dust filled the air.
"Cough, cough! It's so dusty in here, Brother Kakashi!" Karin cried.
"Yeah, no one's lived here for a while. Don't move—I'll take care of it."
Kakashi stepped into the center of the room, quickly forming hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A gust of wind burst from his mouth, sweeping dust out through the windows.
"Wow! That was awesome!" Naruto cheered.
"Enough wow-ing. Come help clean."
"Got it!"
The three of them cleaned for nearly an hour. When they were done, they collapsed onto the floor, panting.
"I'm beat…" Naruto gasped.
Kakashi ignored him and turned to Karin. "Satisfied with your new room?"
"Yes, very! Thank you, Brother Kakashi."
For someone like Karin, who'd had no real place to call home, this was more than enough.
"The furniture's mostly usable. The bedding, though, is a mess. We'll get new ones later."
"Okay."
"To celebrate Karin's move-in, how about ramen?"
"Yes! You're the best, Brother White Fang!"
By the time night fell, Kakashi had returned to his own apartment. He stood by the window, gazing at the quiet village below with a smile.
Such peaceful days… weren't so bad.
"Hmm?"
He suddenly tensed. A messenger hawk flew past the window, a scroll attached to its leg.
"That's the emergency nin-hawk… Something serious?"
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage unrolled the scroll and his expression tightened.
"A diplomatic mission from the Land of Lightning is requesting an audience?"
The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning had always had strained relations. The Second Hokage had died during negotiations involving the Cloud ninja. Decades had passed, but tensions never truly faded.
That the Land of Lightning was sending a delegation now… set off warning bells.
"What is their true purpose?" the Third Hokage murmured.
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